Tube cap



June 13, 193 3. c, JONES 1,913,807

TUBE CAP Filed July 9, 1952 all 'INVENTOR C/a/ence M. d0/7es @JZ/M/YM ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1933 summon 11. 30mm, or runes. oxmnoiu Application meim a, 1932. Serial Io. 021,723..

.. The invention relates to receptacle caps, particularly of the type shown and scribed in my application, Serial #577,814,

filed November 28, 1931, and has .for :its object to provide means whereb' the cap charge port may be formed w en the cap is initially screwed to closedposition on the tube neck. d

A further object is to provide a ca having the discharge port partially ormed therein during the moldin operation, thereby providing a weakene portion, which portion, when the cap is initially screwed to closed position on a tubeneck, is broken out by the conical faced valve stem carried by the neck, thereby preventing the forming of a burr when it is attempted to mold the discharge port at the time of molding the ca BL further object is to mold the cap port whereby the weakened portion left in the port is thicker centrally than at its sides, thereby insuring a positive breaking around the port edges free of burrs.

A further object is to provide a molded receptacle cap with a partially formed .discharge port, thereby providing a weakened wall across the discharge port, positioned where upon screwing the cap to closed position on a discharge neck, said weakened portion will be punched out by a conical faced valve stem carried by the neck, thereby completing the formation of the discharge ort in the ca and obviating the necessity o removing urrs from the cap, which form when an attempt is made to completely mold the discharge ort in the cap.

A further 0 ject is to provide an expansible split ring in a channel of the receptacle neck and in a channel in the inner periphery of the cap, said ring having vertical play on the. neck when the cap is screwed to closed position as' well as to 0 en, but cooperating with shoulders of t e channels,

- thereby lockin the cap on the neck and allowing limite axial movement thereof.

With the above and other ob'ects in view the inventionresides in the com ination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the piecise embodiment of the invention ma made within the scope of what is claimed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. I

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional v1ew through the cap, and a portion of the neck, showing the cap in position to, be screwed onto the neck. Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the cap at an intermediate closed position during the port forming operation.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the cap and neck, showing the cap in closed position and the port formed.

igure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional -v1ew through the cap, showing the same on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional now through the cap on an enlarged scale showing the breaking out o eration and more clearly the relatively thin comiection between the break out disc and'the body of the cap.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the neck of a rece tacle, for instance a collapsible tube, an 2 the cap of the general type, for instance as shown and described in my application above identified. Extending upwardly from the discharge neck of the tube is a conical faced valve stem 3, which is adapted to seat in the tapered discharge port 4.

It has been found that where an attempt is made to mold the caps from plastic material and also the port 4 therein, a burr is formed around the edge 5 of the port,

which has to be removed at considerable cost. In the present device, however, such a burr is not formed. When the cap 2 is molded,it is molded with a weakeneddisc portion 6 at the outer end of the discharge port 4 and when the caps are screwed onto the necks of receptacles, the conical faced valve stems 3 engage the weakened portions 6, forcing and breaking out the same. When the caps are molded, thediscs 6 are molded with a relatively thin connection at? to the cap, and as the material is brittle, it will lit till

be seen that there will be a clean break, free of burrs. By havin the central portions of the discs 8 thi the breaking will be at 7.

It will be noted that when tubes are filled, they are filled with the caps in closed position on the necks 1, through the bottoms of the tubes, which are afterwards sealed. Under these conditions, the breaking out of the frangible disc 6 is accom lished in the usual operation by placing t e cap on the tube neck, thereby utilizing this 0 eration for the valve port formation, an obviating any extra handling or operation.

The upper end of the neck 1 is preferably provided with a ductile or pliable flange 8, which engages the arcuate s oulder 9 and is deformed so as to conform to the arcuate shoulder when the cap is in closed position, thereby forming'a positive seal between the cap and the threaded connection 10 for preventing leakage of material through the thread, particularly when the tubes are subjected to pressure during shipment.

It has been found desirable to provide, in connection with caps of this character, captive means for preventin the cap from being entirely unscrewed rem the threaded neck 1, and to accomplish this result, asplit ring ll is provided which is initially placed over the end of the neck 1 and in the relatively wide channel 12 of the neck. When the cap is then screwed on the neck, as shown in Figure 1, the annular bead 13 within the cap engages the ring 11 and contracts the same as clearly shown in Figure 2, then upon continued movement of the cap toward closed position, the split ring 11 is received within the channel 14 in the inner periphery of the cap, thereby positioning the ring in registering channels 12 and 14 where it will cooperate with the shoulders of the channels for limiting the outer movement of the cap for preventing removal of the cap and consequent loss of the same. The amount of movement is regulated by the width of the channels 12 and M.

From the above it will be seen that a cap forreceptacles is provided whereby a discharge port is partially molded within the cap and the discharge port is then formed by a breaking out method when the cap is screwed on the receptacle neck, thereby reducing the labor cost to a minimum and at the same time overcoming the dificulty of burrs forming around the outer periphe of the ports when the port is entirely mol ed during the melding of the cap. When an attempt is made to mold the cap with a completed port, it has been found that a thin film of material is forced into the clearance between the male and female mold elements, as the material from which the caps are molded is in a powdered or plastic form and is meltedas the molds are brought toer, itis obvious gather. This thin film of material rapidly solidifies and forms the burr referred to.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is 1. The combination with a receptacle neck, a cap axially movable on said neck, a valve stem carried by said neck, ofa partially formed valve seat and art in said .cap for said valve stem, said va ve seat and port being closed by a frangible disc formed integral with the cap.

2. The combination with a tube cap threaded on a tube neck and movable axially towards and away from a valve stem carried by the neck, of a partially formed valve seat in said ca in axial alinement with the valve stem, sald valve seat being closed by a frangible wall formed integral with the cap. 4

3. The combination with a tube cap threaded on a tube neck, a valve stem can ried by said neck and extending upwardly therefrom, of a cap port partially formed in alinement with the valve stem and adapted to be com leted by the valve stem upon movement of tion.

a. The combination with a receptacle neck, a cap mounted on said neck and axially movable in relation thereto, a valve stem carried by said neck, of a partially formed valve seat for said valve stem in said cap and1 normally sealed by a relatively thin wa 5. The combination with a receptacle neck, a cap mounted on said neck and axially movable in relation thereto, a valve stem carried by said neck, of a partially formed valve seat. in said cap for receiving said valve stem, said valve seat being normall sealed at one end by a relatively thin wa and positioned whereby upon movement of the cap to closed position on said neck, said thin wall will be punched from the valve seat by the valve stem, thereby completing the formation of the valve seat and a dis charge port.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the valve seat disc is thicker centrally than around its sides.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the disc normally sealingthe discharge port and valve seat is relatively thin around its sides.

8. As an article of manufacture, a tube cap formed from frangible material and having formed therewith a partially formed the cap to closed posivalve seat and discharge port closed by a relatively thin wall. a

9. The combination with a cap threaded on a tube neck, a channel in the outer periphery of the neck, a split ring in said channel, an annular rib carried by the cap on its inner periphery and adapted to c0mpress said split ring cient for the annular rib to pass said ring when the cap is screwed to closed position, a channel in the inner periphery of the cap, said split rin being expansible and adapted to expand bac into said channel in the inner periphery of the cap above the rib, said split ring cooperating with shoulders formed by said channels whereby the outer movement of the cap to an open position is limited.

In testimony whereof he hereunto affixes his signature.

CLARENCE M. JONES. 

